Fuel and grate saving plate



Sept 15, 1931- J. L. sTlEGLlTz FUEL AND GRATE SAVING' PLATE Filed Oct. 9. 1929 O O O O O O O O O O O Ow@ OQO OOG O OOOOOOGOG 0 0 omo 000 0 0 0 0 omo .0

O O OOOOG O O OOO OOGOOOO O O O G O O O O O OOOGO OO O O OOG O O a O O Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES.

JOHN L. STIEGLITZ, 'OF' LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY FUEL AND GRATE SAVING PLATE Application filed October 9, 1929. Serial No. 398,473.

This invention relates generally to furnaces and particularly to an improved plate; which is a grate, coal, or otherfuel saver; and has for one of its principal objects, the

f5. provisions of means adapted to be used in connection with furnaces, fire boxes or the like, in conjunction with or without the grate bars, whereby a better and more complete combustion of the fuel will be assured. n

Another object of this invention is the provision of a plate adapted to be used in conjunction with or without the grate bars of furnaces, fire boxes or the like: the plate being adapted to support the fuel to be burned and provided with means whereby a sufficient volume of air for efficient combustion will be admitted to the burning fuel.

Another and further important object of this invention is the provision of fuel saving means adapted to be applied to coal or other fuel burning furnaces, fire boxes or the like; which will be so constructed that it may be used in conjunction with or without the ordinary grate bars of the furnaces or fire box, and which is provided with means for the proper removal of ashes and other noneombustible portions of the fuel without clogging said plate or loss of unburned'portions of the fuel itself and which, moreover, will act to positively reduce the formation of clinkers or the like.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and following specifications.

The invention, in a preferred form is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved plate which is the fuel and grate saver of this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken through the center of an ordinary furnace, showing the improved plate of this invention as applied to the grate bars.

As shown in the drawings: i

The reference numeral ten (10) indicates generally a circular plate which may be of any fire resisting material or combination of materials which inventor sees fit to use, com-1 prising the improved plate, grate and fuel saver of this invention; but it will be obvious that the shape. of this plate may be square, hexagonal, polygonal, or of any other shape in order to conform to the outline and interior dimensions of any particular furnace or lire box or thelike to which it may be applied, without departing from the principles of this invention. l y f As best illustrated in Figure 1, the plate 10 is pierced with a plurality of openings 12, which are smalleron the upper or fuel side, thereby `preventing clogging. rhese may be arranged in any desired position and ofgsuch number and size inventor deems necessary to allow sufcient iow` of combustion supporting air therethroughat all times, y As best illustrated in Figure 2the plate 10 having theperforations 12 therethrough is adapted to be normally supported upon the upper edges of the grate bars 14 of an ordinary vcoal or other fuel burning furnace, re box or the likey 16 by merely superimposing the plate 1.0` upon grate bars 14 in the manner illustrated in this figure. The height, of the grate bars, or the distance from wthe top to thebottom edge, considerably exceeds the Width as shown. f It will be obvious that bv the use and, application of this improved plate the `grate barsof the furnace 16 ywill be reinforced 4to such an extent that all fuel placed into the furnace will be adequately and properly supported in provision for complete combustion and reducing loss of unburned portions of the fuel by the dropping of the same .throu gh the wide spaces prevailing in the ordinari7 gratebars on the market.

Further, lproper operation of the grate bars themselves for purposes ofk shaking out ashes or the like will not be inlany way interfered'withvorrestricted bv the application of the improved vplate of this invention.` More than sufficient air for combustion purposes will at all times be `admitted to the hed of burning fuel, and provision vvfor the properv removal of `non-combustible portionsintheform ofashes is ample. f .f

The ordinary fire box 16 of a furnace includes sections 16, 1Gb, of which the former defines the iire box andthe latter the ash pit. Section 16b has an inset shoulder 17, spa-ced from its wall adjacent the top thereby producing the top groove 18 which receives and seats the end of section 16a. As clearly depicted in Figure 2, the grate bars 14, in their normal position shown, support the plate 10. However Vwhen the grate bars are rocked back and forth in their bearing 14a, which are preferably below the plane of shoulder 17, it will be evident that plate 10 will be intermittently deposited upon and supported by the groove forming shoulder 17 and raise from same. In other words when rocked, the upper plate supporting edges of bars 14 periodically pass below the plane of shoulder 17. This action jostles plate l() and coupled with its slight transverse movement under the rocking action of bars 14 (the plate 10 being diametrically smaller than the lire boX chamber) serves to effect' removal of the ashes through openings 12. If the reduced bearing ends of bars 14 are above the shoulder, then of course, the plate 1,0 will be intermittently deposited upon and raised therefrom instead.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied throughout a wide range without de parting from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting normally disposed above the plane of said shoulder and adapted to be rocked to a plane below said shoulder to shake ashes from the fire bed, a perforated fuel-supporting plate removably supported by said grate bars and being dimensioned for slight lateral shifting movement in the fire box under the rocking action of the grate, and the relative dimensions of said plate and the fire box space enclosed by said internal shoulder being such that. said shoulder will support said plate in any laterally shifted position thereof upon substantial rocking movement of the grate in either direction.

3. In a furnace, agrate movable to dispose its fire bed supporting portion in different horizontal planes, a fuel supporting plate provided with combined draft and ash outlet openings and normally .supported by said grate, and a secondary support for said plate within the furnace and disposed in a plane between said aforementioned hori- Zontal planes, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN L. vsfriEcrLrrz.

the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

Having thus described invention and illustrated its use what I claim asnew and l desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A furnace including an ash pit section and a fire boX section, the former having a groove in its end to receive the end of the fire box section and Vproviding an internal shoulder within the fire boX section, a grate comprising a series of rockable grate bars journalled in one of said sections the lheight of said bars materially exceeding their width whereby the topv edges provide a fuel-supporting face normally disposed above the plane of said shoulder, a perforated fuel supporting plate removably supported by said grate bars and being dimensioned for slight lateral shifting movement in the ire'vbox under .the rocking action of the grate, and the relative dimensions of said plateand the tire box space enclosed .bysaid internal shoulder being such that said shoulder will support said plate in any laterally shifted position thereof upon rocking of the top edges of the bars in either direction to a point below the plane ofsaid shoulder. L -Y 2. A furnace including an ash pit section and a fire boX section, the former khavingfa groove in its end to receive the endrof the fire box section and providing'an internal shoulder within the fire boX section, a rockable grate having its fuel-supporting face lli 

